IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
1. Head/face protection
Items Examples Decision Limitations Comments
Masks
Not permitted Masks are not
allowed.
Helmets
Not permitted Helmets are not
allowed.
Nose
protection
Permitted
Only soft, single-
coloured materials
and tapes are
allowed.
2. Headbands
Examples Decision Limitations Comments
Permitted
Only headbands
which are elastic, thin
and narrow are
allowed.
Not permitted
Headbands which are
not elastic, not thin
enough and/or too
wide are not allowed.
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
3. Glasses and goggles
Examples Decision Comments
Permitted
Sport glasses and goggles with
special sports headbands, solid
plastic lenses, and temples made
of silicon or other elastic
materials are allowed.
Not permitted
Sport glasses and goggles with
rigid temples are not allowed.
4. Tooth protection
Examples Decision Comments
Permitted Transparent and single-coloured mouth guards
are allowed.
Not permitted Non-transparent and multi-coloured mouth guards
are not allowed.
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
5. Shoulder protection and compression sleeves
Items Examples Decision Limitations
Shoulder
braces
Permitted
Shoulder guards made of
soft and thin materials are allowed and may be
any colour.
Compression
sleeves
Permitted
Compression sleeves in
the same and/or a
similar colour as the
dominant colour of the
shirt are allowed.
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
6. Elbow protection
Items Examples Decision Limitations Comments
Elbow pads
Permitted
Well-padded elbow
pads made of soft and
thin materials are
allowed and may be
any colour.
Elbow
supports
(three pads
and
protective
foam)
Permitted
Elbow supports with
three pads and
protective foam are
allowed. The pads must
have an embossed
structure for better
movement and allow
the elbow to slide on
the floor.
Neoprene
elbow
supports
(single pad
and
protective
foam)
Permitted
Neoprene elbow
supports with a single
large pad and
protective foam are
allowed. The pad must
have an embossed
structure for better
movement and allow
the elbow to slide on
the floor.
Elbow
protectors
Permitted
Elbow protectors are
allowed if all hard
components are fully
covered with
protective foam
bandages or similar
products (no danger to
opponents).
Elbow protectors made
of soft and thin
materials are allowed
and may be any colour.
Elbow
protection
Not
permitted
Elbow protectors with
any uncovered hard
components are not
allowed.
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
7. Knee protection
Items
Examples
Decision Limitations Comments
Knee protectors
Permitted
Knee protectors are only allowed if
all hard components are fully
covered with protective foam
bandages or similar products (no
danger to opponents).
Knee protectors
made of soft
and thin
materials are
allowed and
may be any
colour.
Knee protectors
(single pad and
protective foam)
Permitted
Knee protectors
with a single
large pad and
protective foam
are allowed and
may be any
colour.
Neoprene knee
supports
(single pad and
protective foam)
Permitted
Neoprene knee
supports with a
single large pad
and protective
foam are
allowed. The
pad must have
an embossed
structure for
better movement
and allow the
player to slide
on the floor.
Knee protection
Not
permitted
Knee protectors
with any
uncovered hard
components are
not allowed.
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
8. Compression calf supports
Examples Decision Comments
Permitted Compression calf supports in the same colour as
the socks are allowed.
Not permitted Compression calf supports which do not match
the colour of the socks are not allowed.
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
9. Ankle joint protection
Items Examples Decision Limitations Comments
Ankle joint
protectors
or hard
stabilisers
Permitted
Ankle joint
protectors or hard
stabilisers are
allowed if all hard
components are
fully covered with
protective foam
bandages or similar
products (no danger
to opponents). The
protectors and tape
must be the same
colour as the socks.
Ankle
braces with
straps
Permitted
Ankle braces with
straps are allowed if
there are no hard
components. The
protectors and tape
must be the same
colour as the socks.
Ankle joint
protectors
or hard
stabilisers
Not
permitted
Ankle joint
protectors or hard
stabilisers are not
allowed if there are
any uncovered
hard components
and the protectors
and tape do not
match the colour
of the socks.
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
10. Clothes
Summary:
Long leg wear is not allowed (with the exception of the goalkeeper).
Four pieces (undershorts + knee protector + compression calf supports + socks) are allowed. These must
be four separate pieces.
Compression and long sleeves must match the dominant colour of the shirt.
Undershorts must match the dominant colour of the shorts.
Compression calf supports must match the colour of the socks.
Ankle protectors must match the colour of the socks.
Elbow and knee protectors may be of any colour(s).
Items Examples Decision Comments
Sport head
scarves
Permitted
Single-coloured sport head scarves are allowed.
If several players of a team use head scarves, they
must be the same colour.
Non-sport
head
scarves
Not permitted Non-sport head scarves are not allowed.
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
10. Clothes
Items Examples Decision Comments
Long-
sleeved
undershirts
Permitted
Long-sleeved undershirts in the
same colour as the dominant
colour of the shirt are allowed.
Not Permitted
Long-sleeved undershirts which
do not match the dominant
colour of the shirt are not
allowed.
Short
undershorts
or warm
pants
Permitted
Short undershorts or warm pants
in the same colour as the
dominant colour of the shorts
are allowed.
Not permitted
Short undershorts or warm pants
which do not match the
dominant colour of the shorts
are not allowed.
Long leg
wear
Permitted
The goalkeeper is allowed to
wear long pants, tights,
undershorts and/or long
compression pants/tights.
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
10. Clothes
Items Examples Decision Comments
Not permitted
Field players are not allowed
to wear any long shorts, tights,
pants, undershorts and/or long
compression pants/tights.
Socks
Permitted Socks must be the same colour
and length.
Shirts
Permitted
Shirts for court players acting as
goalkeeper must be identical to
the goalkeeper shirt, i.e. holes
for front and back numbers,
covered with transparent
material (no holes allowed).
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
11. Accessories
Items Examples Decision Limitations Comments
Earrings
and
piercings
Permitted
Small earrings and
piercings are allowed
if they are fully covered
with tape.
Not permitted
Earrings and
piercings which are
not fully covered
with tape are not
allowed.
Hairpins
Permitted
Hairpins made of soft
materials are allowed.
Metal and/or plastic
hairpins must be removed
or fully covered with
tape.
Captain’s
armbands
Permitted
Only single-coloured
captain’s armbands are
allowed.
Short
wristbands
Permitted
Short wristbands are
allowed if they are non-
adhesive, soft and thin.
Wristbands must
match the dominant
colour of the shirt.
Long
wristbands
Permitted
Long wristbands are
allowed if they are non-
adhesive, soft and thin.
Wristbands must
match the dominant
colour of the shirt.
IHF Rules of the Game:
Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories
INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL FEDERATION Status July 2017
11. Accessories
Items Examples Decision Limitations Comments
Wrist
protectors
Permitted
Wrist protectors are
only allowed if all
hard components
are fully covered.
Wrist protectors
must match the
dominant colour of
the shirt.
Gloves
Not permitted
Gloves are not
allowed. This also
applies to the
goalkeeper.
Finger
bands
Not permitted Finger bands are
not allowed.
Glue
Permitted
Glue may only be
kept on the shoes
and applied to the
fingers.